Off to the best start in school history, Cleveland State men's basketball team just may be one of the best that the school has ever seen.
View full size"I consider us a major program," said CSU coach Gary Waters before Tuesday night's rout of West Virginia Tech lifted the Vikings to 11-0. "Our goal is to get back to the NCAA tournament, and this team can do it."CLEVELAND, Ohio -- 11-and-0?
Even Gary Waters didn't see that happening, and the Cleveland State men's basketball coach is one of the world's great optimists.
After all, he was the coach who predicted that he would lead Kent State to its first NCAA bid, which he did when coaching the Golden Flashes in 1999.
Hired to revive Cleveland State's program in 2006, he insisted the Vikings would be in the NCAA tournament within a few years. That happened in 2009, for only the second time in school history.
"I knew we'd be good," said Waters of this year's team before Tuesday's home blowout of NAIA school West Virginia Tech, 94-62. "But I didn't think we'd start undefeated."
The Vikings entered ranked as the No. 1 team in the CollegeInsider Mid-Major Top 25. They are ahead of schools such as Gonzaga (No. 2), Old Dominion (No. 3) and Butler (No. 8). They also received 13 votes in the last Associated Press poll, placing them 31st in Division I basketball.
"I'm not sure what the Mid-Major poll means," said Waters. "I consider us a major program. Our goal is to get back to the NCAA tournament, and this team can do it. They remind me a lot of the 2009 group. They have that kind of toughness."
In 2009, the Vikings upset Butler on the Bulldogs' home court to win the Horizon League tournament, then dumped Wake Forest in the NCAA's first round.
These Vikings have defeated local rivals and Mid-American Conference powers Akron and Kent State. Over the weekend, they went on the Horizon League Wisconsin trip, where they had a combined 1-19 record in games at Wisconsin-Green Bay and Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
They won both games.
They also own victories over Robert Morris, St. Bonaventure and Iona.
"When we defend well, we can play with anybody," said Waters. "Right now, we are defending well."
Averaging 72 points a game, CSU is holding opponents to 58 points.
Losses of 2009-10 fuel 2010-11 success
"We've got some players," said Waters. "Norris Cole (21.2 points per game) may be the best guard in the Midwest. Tre Harmon (13.4 points) and Jeremy Montgomery (11.9 points) can really shoot it. Those guys are guards, and we start all three -- and we get up into your face on defense."
A senior, Cole is having a remarkable season. He's averaging 4.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and going to the foul line nine times per game, making 85 percent. In the final five minutes of regulation, Cole is 42-of-44 from the line. The Vikings are 85 percent in those clutch situations.
Assistant Coach Larry Disimpelare said Cole has made "one of the biggest jumps from one season to the next of any player we have had since Gary and I were together at Kent."
The 6-foot-2 Cole averaged 13.3 points and was a first team All-Horizon pick last season. Now, he has turned into a full-force leader and scorer.
A year ago, Cleveland State was 16-17. It was a team without seniors, which played a brutal non-conference schedule that included Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio State, Kansas State and Wichita State.
"When we were getting beat last year, I thought scheduling that many good teams was maybe not a great idea," Waters said. "But now, these kids think they can go anywhere and beat anyone after what they faced last season."
While the three guards receive most of the attention for the fast start, Waters said his two big men -- center Aaron Pogue and power forward Tim Kamczyc -- have "really helped us take that next step" into serious contention for a postseason berth.
Two finds in the frontcourt
View full sizeAaron Pogue has blossomed on the Vikings' front line, combining with sophomore Tim Kamczyc to provide steady defense and rebounding in the season's early weeks.A sophomore, the 6-7 Kamczyc is the only new starter from a year ago, and the coaches rave about him.
"Don't even look at his stats [4.6 points, 3.7 rebounds]," said Waters. "He plays power forward and he's the point man on our press. He gets all the loose balls. He's a good passer, a real team guy."
Or as Disimpelare said, "I've been with Gary from the beginning [Kent State in 1999] and Tim may be the toughest son of a gun ever to play for us. He's not a great scorer, but he was an all-state [second team] quarterback at Strongsville."
No one offered Kamczyc a Division I basketball scholarship. When he talked to Cleveland State about walking onto the team, the coaches suggested he consider a school such as Akron, where they have a football program -- in case he decided to switch sports.
"But Tim was adamant," said Disimpelare. "He wanted to play for us. The first year, we red-shirted him. It was amazing how hard he practiced. He told us that he'd earn a scholarship, and he did. Now, he starts."
Pogue was a top 50 recruit coming out of Dayton Dunbar in 2007. He attended Vincennes Junior College for a year, then transferred to Cleveland State. Waters said the 6-foot-9 Pogue arrived weighing more than 300 pounds, and had to learn what his gritty, disciplined, defensive style of basketball demanded of the players.
He red-shirted a year, then played at 270 pounds last season. He started, but averaged only 6.3 points and 5.4 rebounds and battled foul troubles. This season, the junior's weight is down to about 260, his stats up to 7.6 points and 6.0 rebounds. But what the coaches love is Pogue's added mobility and defensive presence.
"Aaron is still figuring it out," said Waters. "He doesn't know how good he can be, and he can be really good."
So can Cleveland State, a wonderful basketball surprise for a city that can use one after what happened this summer with LeBron James and the Cavaliers.
"We're gonna be good and we are fun to watch," said Waters. "This can be a very special year for us."